Improvement in cartridges



W. F. PARKER.

Cartridge.

Patented 5March"23, 1869.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

F. PARKER, OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN CARTRIDGES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 88,202, dated March 23, 1869.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, W. E. PARKER, of Meriden, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new. Improvement in Cartridges and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

Figure 1, a perspective view of the cartridge, looking toward the rear end; Fig. 2, the percussion-cap; Fig. 3, a longitudinal section of the cartridge-shell; Fig. 4, the same with the cap inserted; Fig. 5, a rear-end view of the same; and in Figs. 6 and 7, a rear and sectional view of the head with the cap inserted, as before my improvement.

This invention relates to an improvement in cartridge-shells in breech-loading fire-arms, and especially to that class of shells which are used for shot for sporting purposes, the shell being removed from the barrel after discharge and reloaded, so that the same shell answers for many discharges, the object being to adapt the shell to the use of a percussion-cap formed with a ring around its base or head, against which it bears when placed in the head. A perspective view of the cap is shown in Fig. 4, which is in form a miniature copper shell.

Heretofore the head has been formed, as seen in Figs. 6 and 7, with an opening through the head of a diameter to receive the body of the shell, and the recess, so that the flange will set in flush and fill the recess. This cap, after discharge, is removed with difficulty, it being necessary to punch it out from the opposite side, and the opening through the shell, being necessarily large, compels the necessity of placing the cap into the head before loading, to remain there until the shell is discharged, and therefore be liable to discharge by acci dent. In my invention these difficulties are entirely removed; and it consists in forming a recess in the rear end of the cartridge-head, so as to expose the flange to the action of any instrument which may be applied thereto upon the outside, the said recess being of sufficient depth to carry the cap into the shell flush with or lower than the surface of the head.

In order to the clear understanding of my invention, I will fully describe the same as illustrated in the following drawings:

A is the shell; B, the head, joined to the shell in the usual manner. Centrally in the head I bore out a chamber, a, of proper d iameter and depth to receive the percussion-cap, and through the remainder of the head in the recess I make a small perforation, d, of sufficient size only to make a communication from the percussion-cap to the powder for the .purpose of ignition, so that the powder in the shell will not escape therethrough. The rear end of the shell I form concave, or make a recess of much larger diameter than the head of the cap, as seen in Figs. 1 and 3, so that when the cap is set into the recess a, as seen in Fig. 4, it will be flush with or below the surface or edge of the head, and yet so that the rim will be entirely exposed above the recessed or concave surface. Thus constructed, the cap is easily removed by the thumb and finger nail, or by any sharp instrument, as the blade of a knife, and is not of necessity placed into the head until the shell is to be placed in the arm. Thus I facilitate the removal of a percussioncap, avoid the risk of accident by the necessary presence of the cap in the loaded cartridge, and prevent the escape of powder through the opening in the head.

I find it advantageous to construct the cartridge so that the cap may be removed byan instrument having a small point, which may be made for the purpose. To this end I form in the concave surface of the head, down into the recess formed by the cap, one or more channels, f, (see Fig. 5,) of sufficient size to permit the insertion of a small point beneath the head or rim of the cap, which, used as a lever, easily throws the cap out of the shell.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and useful, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A cartridge-shell the head of whichis constructed with a recess, a, for the percussioncap, its head recessed so as to expose the rim of the cap, substantially in the manner an d for the purpose set forth.

2.. The channels f in the head of a cartridge, with or without the recess a, substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

Witnesses: W. F. PARKER.

A. J. Tmnrrs, J. H. SHUMWAY. 

